OREANDA-NEWS. April 30, 2013. A scientific and technical seminar on "Status and prospects of extra-viscous oil fields development" was held at JSC TATNEFT with participation of chief engineers, chief geologists and professionals of TATNEFT Group of Companies, as well as representatives of independent oil and service companies of Tatarstan.

Those present at the forum discussed the state-of-the art of Ashalchinskoye extra-viscous oil (EVO) field development and the prospects of developing similar deposits.

The reports presented many pressing issues, including organization of pilot projects for testing thermal enhanced oil recovery methods for EVO deposits; design features of horizontal wells; geophysical wells' logging in the EVO fields developed with application of thermal methods; improving the mean time between failures index of pumping equipment used for the extra-viscous oil production, etc.

The event participants familiarized themselves with the infrastructure of Ashalchinskoye EVO field and the process of drilling horizontal wells.

To date, there have been drilled 20 well pairs and 1 huff-and-puff well, including two pairs of wells drilled in 2013, in Ashalchinskoye oil field out of 49 pairs and 18 single horizontal wells to be drilled in accordance with the extra-viscous oil field development project. Of this amount twelve pairs of horizontal wells and one single huff-and-puff well are in operation at present with a daily production of 320 tons/day. Research work is in the process on two well pairs; on two other well pairs steam injection to heat the reservoir and establish hydrodynamic communication between them is carried out. Equipment has been installed in two well pairs and they are waiting for steam injection, which will be started after putting into operation the new boiler, while two pairs are in the process of the construction works completion. Currently drilling of the 21st well pair is underway.

The specialists of the Company had applied new geological, technological and technical measures in the course of the steam assisted gravity drainage technology testing. The activities performed included the technology of testing and cleaning wells filtration zone from mud and solids after drilling using the coil tubing installation and nitrogen compressor, as well as the technology of pulling the fiberglass optic cable through the coil tubing. Prevention of salt deposits in the pipelines and tanks due to mixing of sewage and carboniferous and extra-viscous oil in the field is solved through application of the dual water injection technology. As a result of the search and implementation of innovative solutions a new measurement system has been developed to record the high-temperature extra viscous oil, which allows taking into account the flow rate of the produced fluid and water cut.

The plans of further Ashalchinskoye field development provide for carrying out a large complex of technical activities on construction and expansion of the oil field infrastructure including the facilities of gas and heat supply, as well as production, treatment and transportation of extra-viscous oil. In the long term the following activities are planned: introduction of new technologies to increase the well construction efficiency and develop edge portions of the EVO reservoir, as well as engineering developments to reduce energy consumption, etc.